Department for Transport

Tolls

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on toll charges on public highways that cross rivers and estuaries in the UK.

baroness sugg: It is the Government's policy that those who benefit from the significant improvements brought about by estuarial crossings should help to pay for them. Successive Governments have taken the view that tolls are justified, given the high costs of constructing and maintaining such crossings, and the time savings that users make compared to alternative routes.

Road Signs and Markings: Hedges and Ditches

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 July 2016 (HL1206), what estimate they have made of the percentage of road signs on the highways network that are being obscured by overgrown foliage.

baroness sugg: Highways England invests significant funds in maintaining road signs and their contracts require that vegetation is cut back as necessary. The Department for Transport also encourages highway authorities to consider the advice as set out in the UK Road Liaison Group’s code of practice, ‘Well Maintained Highways’. This advises authorities to trim back trees and foliage to ensure traffic signs are kept legible. No central assessment of road signs that are being obscured by overgrown foliage, operated either by local highways authorities or by Highways England, has been made.

Cycling

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that cyclists are aware of the requirement to obey the Highway Code in respect of Rules for cyclists (59 to 82), particularly Rule 66, Rule 69, Rule 71, and Rule 72.

baroness sugg: As with all road users, cyclists need to adhere to the rules set out in the Highway Code. The Government continues to keep road safety and road traffic offences under review to ensure that the current legislative framework is adequate. This is why the Cycle Safety Review was announced on 21 September 2017. The Government also promotes road safety, including encouraging safe cycling, through its Think! campaigns and Bikeability training.

Aviation: Egypt

lord stone of blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have reviewed the ban on direct flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh, in the light of such flights being available from other European states, including Italy, Germany, and Belgium.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport carries out regular assessments of aviation security at all last points of departure airports to the UK from Egypt. The Government works closely with international partners, including airlines, airports and the Egyptian Government, on security standards. Global aviation security arrangements are kept under constant review. It is the responsibility for each Government to determine their own advice on where it is safe for their citizens or carriers to fly.

Transport: Finance

lord taylor of goss moor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what projects have been awarded funding through the local major transport projectsfund since 2014; what was the amount of funding awarded for each project;and what was the purpose of each project.

baroness sugg: The information in the attached table shows the Department for Transport’s total final funding contributions to local major transport projects in England approved since 2014 following consideration of final business cases. Other projects in the programme are still in development. The current programme totals £2.6bn of which £1.66bn is being provided by the Department. This is in addition to the significant investment we are making to improve local transport through other funding streams, including local highways maintenance and integrated transport funding.



HL2578 - Table with DfT's contributions
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.41 KB)

A30

lord taylor of goss moor: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to make a decision on the outline business case to fund the A30 to St Austell link road.

baroness sugg: The Government is still considering the business case for the A30 to St Austell Link Road scheme and will announce a funding decision in due course.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Community Charge

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatis their estimateof the amount of monies due under the Community Charge which remain unpaid.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The department does not hold this information.

Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Communities and Local Government on 3 July (HC1801), what action, if any,they plan to take following the report of the working group on mandatory electrical safety checks set up under the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Following Royal Assent of the Housing and Planning Act 2016, a Working Group of relevant experts was established to provide recommendations to ministers on what, if any, legislative requirements for electrical safety in the private rented sector should be introduced. The working group report has been published online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-working-group-reportThe Government will engage further with the sector to test the recommendations of the working group to ensure that any regulation introduced is balanced and works for landlords and tenants.



The Working Group report
(PDF Document, 322.62 KB)

Affordable Housing: Greater London

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist the Mayor of London in his aim to increase the proportion of affordable homes being built in the capital to 65 per cent of homes being constructed there.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Mayor of London has overall responsibility for housing policy, delivery and regeneration in London. We will judge the Mayor of London on his record of using this money to good effect. As set out in the Housing White Paper published earlier this year, the country desperately needs more of all forms of housing, including affordable homes. This is why we agreed a record £3.15 billion of funding for affordable housing in London to deliver at least 90,000 new affordable homes by March 2021.

Councillors

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report The Voice of the Councillor, the final report of the De Montfort University and Municipal Journal Councillor Commission, published in July.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government welcomed the report at the time of publication noting we would carefully consider its recommendations to help inform general policy development.

Housing Improvement

lord dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of residential basement excavations on the quality of life of those living in the neighbourhood.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As part of our recent review of the planning law and regulations which relate to basement developments, we held a call for evidence which sought examples of good practice in the effective use of the current planning framework in managing basement developments. This included how the planning system can be used to mitigate any potential adverse impacts arising from such developments. We are grateful to the Noble Lord for his support and feedback around this issue.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 26 October (HL Deb, col 978), what action they will take to ensure that the £156 million unused borrowing capacity for social housing is taken up and spent.

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 26 October (HL Deb, col 978), what proposals they have for ensuring that the £3.6 billion of local authority housing revenue account headroom is used to achieve the building of more affordable homes.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We want to see local authorities deliver a new generation of council house building, and are providing the tools to help them do so by: enabling them to increase rents by up to CPI +1per cent for 5 years from 2020, giving certainty to plan investment and confidence about future rental income to underpin house building plans; andproviding £2 billion extra public funding to deliver more affordable homes at social rent in areas of acute affordability pressure, which local authorities will be able to bid for.It is for individual local authorities to decide how and when to utilise their available housing revenue account borrowing, in line with their strategic approach to meeting housing need and the effective management of their Housing Revenue Account.

Housing: Charities

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 23 October (HL1773), whether they have any plans to establish an independent regulator to oversee the standards of housing owned and let by charities such as the National Trust.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is determined to improve and raise standards in the rented and leasehold sector. Local authorities already have strong powers to tackle rogue landlords and poor property conditions.We have already introduced a range of additional powers through the Housing & Planning Act 2016 with Rent Repayment Orders and Civil Penalties of up to £30,000 for certain housing offences as an alternative to prosecution which came into force on 6 April 2017.The Government is also seeking views on the regulation of letting and managing agents and the approaches government could take to implement any such regulation, and has published a Call for Evidence, ‘Protecting consumers in the letting and managing agent market, which closes on 29 November 2017.

Multiple Occupation: Regulation

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the regulations governing Houses in Multiple Occupation.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Department recently consulted on extending mandatory Houses in Multiple Occupation licensing, bringing a further 180,000 properties into scope. We will make an announcement and publish the consultation response shortly.

Leader of the House of Lords

Select Committee Reports: Government Responses

lord norton of louth: To ask the Leader of the House what plans she has to improve the timeliness and quality of Government responses to reports from House of Lords Select Committees and Joint Select Committees of both Houses.

lord norton of louth: To ask the Leader of the House how many reports from House of Lords Select Committees and Joint Select Committees of both Houses published between August 2010 and August 2017 did not receive Government responses within a period of two months; and how many of those reports have yet to receive a Government response.

baroness evans of bowes park: The Government values the work of the select committees of this House, and understands the importance of proper engagement with that work. Therefore the Government aims to respond to reports within two months of their publication. However, sometimes circumstances dictate that it will not be possible to provide a response within this timeframe. In such instances the relevant government department will maintain contact with the relevant select committee chairman and secretariat.I have written to Lords ministers to reiterate the importance of providing timely responses to select committee reports. There are currently 15 government responses that have not been received by the relevant select committees within the two-month period. I am assured that ministers are working hard to ensure outstanding responses are issued as soon as possible.Data on response times is made available by the Committee Office but has not been routinely collected for the years requested. However, as a member of the Liaison Committee, I welcome the fact that, since the 2014-15 session, government response dates have been published in the Liaison Committee’s annual reports. Links to the reports containing the information for the most recent three sessions are set out below.Session 2016-17: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldliaison/13/13.pdfSession 2015-16: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldliaisn/26/26.pdfSession 2014-15: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201516/ldselect/ldliaison/5/5.pdf



Session 2014-15
(PDF Document, 531.18 KB)




Session 2015-16
(PDF Document, 332.42 KB)




Session 2016-17
(PDF Document, 459.69 KB)

Questions for Short Debate

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask the Leader of the House whether she intends to review the rule under which Members who ask a question for short debate have no right of reply at the end.

baroness evans of bowes park: Questions for short debate, which remain the principal means by which backbenchers are able to secure 1-1½ hour debates in the Chamber or Grand Committee, are, by design, treated as questions rather than motions. As such there is no right of reply.* Standing Order 32(2) is also clear in that members may only speak once to questions for short debate, save, with the leave of the House, to clarify a point they have made in their speech.The speaking time limits for additional backbench contributors in the twenty-five questions for short debate we have had so far in this session have ranged from two to ten minutes. Any change to the present arrangements would of course be a matter for the Procedure Committee. I can only note that revising the procedure so that the member asking the question had a right of reply within the 1 or 1½ hour time limit would reduce the time available to other members when debates are well-subscribed.*Paragraph 6.32 of The Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have committed to date to assist with the recovery of the British Overseas Territories affected by recent hurricanes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has so far committed £57 million towards meeting immediate humanitarian needs in the Overseas Territories. The UK has also committed to supporting the governments of the affected Overseas Territories as they carry out their impact and needs assessments and design their longer term recovery plans.

Burma: Armed Conflict

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to establish whether Burmese military officials or units which have received training from the UK have been, or are, involved in current military operations in Rakhine State; and what representations they have made to the government of Burma in that regard.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has not been training the Burmese army. This is prohibited under the EU Arms Embargo which we have supported. The UK was instrumental in the renewal of this measure earlier this year.The UK announced the suspension of our practical defence cooperation with Burma on 19 September until there is an acceptable resolution to the current situation in Rakhine. This cooperation consisted of educational courses focused on governance, accountability, ethics, human rights and international law. The UK has not provided any form of combat training to the Burmese Military.

Burma: Armed Conflict

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received legal advice from the Attorney Generalon whether the violence in Rakhine State constitutes ethnic cleansing; and if so, what assessment they have made of that advice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not sought or received advice from the Attorney General on whether the violence in Rakhine State constitutes ethnic cleansing.More than 608,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh as a result of Burmese military and militia violence since 25 August. This increasingly seems to be a case of ethnic cleansing. As a consequence the international community needs to see these people able to return to their homes in Burma safely.

Qatar: Diplomatic Relations

lord hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact of the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar on the ordinary citizens of Qatar.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We know that the closure of borders between Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar has a real impact on the movement of people and goods and on the everyday lives of people in the region. We call upon the Gulf States to find a way of de-escalating the situation and lifting the current restrictions, and are engaging with all sides in support of Kuwait’s mediation efforts.

Burma: Human Rights

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial assistance they are providing for the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Fact Finding Mission (FFM) will be funded entirely by the UN regular budget through assessed contributions, to which the UK pays 4.46%. The funding for the FFM was requested through a 'programme budgetary implication' (PBI) from the Human Rights Council and is estimated to be around £2 million.

Burma: Arms Trade

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of calls from civil society organisations for a UN-mandated comprehensive arms embargo on Myanmar.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK does not sell arms to Burma.We judge there is currently​ insufficient support across the UN Security Council for a global arms embargo.We continue to support the EU's retention of its arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability.The UK was instrumental in the renewal of the EU arms embargo earlier this year.

Burma: Arms Trade

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for an expansion of the EU arms embargo on Myanmar to include the supply of equipment to the Burmese army.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to support the EU's retention of its arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability.

Burma: Human Rights

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis, what assessment they have made of the possibility of reinstating the EU's annual submission of a resolution at the UN General Assembly criticising Myanmar's human rights record.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The EU Foreign Affairs Council on 16 October, issued conclusions which, in addition to suspending all Burmese military visits to the EU, noted that Member States​ also agreed to consider additional measures if the situation in Rakhine does not improve.We are currently focused on the resolution on Burma which the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has circulated at the General Assembly to ensure it is in line with the UK's position including on the protection of civilians, full humanitarian access, safe and voluntary return for refugees, swift implementation of the Rakhine Advisory Commission's report, and access for the UN Fact Finding Mission.

Turkey: Human Rights

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 October (HL1775), whether they plan to ask the UN to take up the invitation by Turkey to allow inspection visits by UN officials to areas in Sapatan and its surrounding villages.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: It is up to the UN to request specific inspection visits with the Turkish authorities. We work closely with UN agencies active in Turkey and other like-minded diplomatic missions to ensure that Turkey is regularly reminded of its human rights obligations.

Egypt: Aviation

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact on the economy of Egypt of the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm El Sheikh since the ban was imposed in 2015.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: I refer my noble friend to the response given to PQ HL2384, copied below for ease of reference:Despite Her Majesty's Government's ban on flights to Sharm El Sheikh, British tourists continue to visit Egypt. Our Travel Advice does not advise against travel to many parts of Egypt. So far this year, UK tourists have contributed US$153 million to the Egyptian economy. Britain is the number two western European country in terms of numbers of tourists in Egypt.The Egyptian Tourism Minister stated in 2015 that flight suspensions following the Metrojet attack had resulted in direct losses estimated at US$280 million a month to the Egyptian economy. This figure included the impact of flight suspensions by a number of countries.​We know the importance of tourism in Sharm El Sheikh and are in constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government. Our Travel Advice can have trade and political implications, but we do not let this determine the advice we give. The safety of British nationals has to be our main concern.​

Egypt: Aviation

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on diplomatic relations of the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm El Sheikh.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is a friend of Egypt – a firm security partner, business partner of choice, a practical supporter of empowering the Egyptian people, and an advocate of modernising reform. We cooperate on a range of issues both bilaterally and multilaterally, including in our shared interests of combating terrorism, countering extremism, and working to bring stability and security to Libya. I have visited Egypt twice this year, and the Foreign Secretary visited in February.All relationships have their issues. We are in constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government about the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh. Our Travel Advice can have political implications, but we do not let this determine the advice we give. The safety of British nationals has to be our main concern.

Bahrain: Human Rights

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to meet representatives of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy to discuss human rights issues in Bahrain

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Embassy in Bahrain engage with a wide range of non-governmental organisations to discuss the UK's policy towards Bahrain. This includes the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Minister of State for the Middle East met, or had contact with, any non-governmental organisations or representatives of the Bahrain opposition during his recent visit to Bahrain.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Minister for the Middle East visited Bahrain on 19 October and co-chaired the Bahrain-UK Joint working group with His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain; where bilateral issues, including human rights, were discussed. He also had a number of official engagements with Government and non-government interlocutors, including a wide range of young influencers.

Burma: Rohingya

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised the issue of Rohingya communities at the UN Security Council; and what action has been taken against the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in Myanmar.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has played a leading role in co-ordinating international efforts on Rakhine. We have raised Burma three times at the UN Security Council (UNSC) since the most recent outbreak of violence on 25 August. On 13 September we secured the first agreed UNSC press elements on Burma in eight years. The Security Council also discussed Burma in an open session on 28 September.The UN Security Council has called for the Burmese authorities to stop the violence and allow humanitarian access. The voluntary and safe return of refugees is a central part of the ongoing discussions in which we are engaged at the UN Security Council.The UK continues to call for an end to the violence, and to prevent escalation, irrespective of whether incidents fit the definition of specific international crimes.We shall ​continue to keep up the pressure on Burma's government to send a clear message to their security forces to stop the violence, ensure a full investigation of allegations of human rights violations, full access to the UN Fact Finding Mission and commit to ensuring accountability for the perpetrators.​

Burma: Rohingya

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will supporta referral of Myanmar tothe International Criminal Court in respect of alleged crimes against humanity in Rakhine state.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While it is States which have primary responsibility for investigating allegations of crimes under international law, the UN Security Council could refer Burma to the International Criminal Court (ICC). We judge this unlikely and accordingly, we believe it more effective to seek to work with the Government of Burma and international partners to resolve the situation in Rakhine state.

Burma: Rohingya

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they willsupport international sanctions and prosecution of the government ofMyanmar, its army, and senior military personnel responsible for ethnic cleansing.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We judge there is currently insufficient support across the UN Security Council to table a resolution demanding sanctions against Burma.The Foreign Secretary secured agreement at the 16 October EU Foreign Affairs Council to the suspension of military visits to the EU and review of all practical defence engagement, and a commitment that the EU would look at additional measures if the situation in Rakhine does not improve.We shall ​continue to keep up the pressure on Burma's government to send a clear message to their security forces to stop the violence, ensure a full investigation of allegations of human rights violations, full access to the UN Fact Finding Mission and commit to ensuring accountability for the perpetrators.

Taliban

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are taking action to support peaceful dialogue between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States; if so, what; and what advice they have provided to the governments of those states in relation to dialogue with the Taliban.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government continues to support both Afghanistan and Pakistan in their efforts to build and maintain a relationship that will enhance the security, stability and prosperity of both countries and the wider region. The Foreign Secretary, other Ministers, and senior officials speak regularly with leaders from the two countries about the importance of improving relations. The most recent Ministerial contact was during the visit by the Minister for Asia and the Pacific to Kabul on 1-2 October. On 15 March the Government facilitated a meeting between Afghanistan and Pakistan at which some progress was made to address the concerns of both sides. We continue to encourage the two countries to work together to tackle the threat of cross-border militancy, improve border management and encourage increased bilateral trade. We liaise closely with the US on this agenda.The Government is committed to an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, and this will need to include the Taliban. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is active in pursuit of that goal through diplomatic outreach and our programmatic work, including direct support to Afghanistan's Higher Peace Council. Our message to all parties involved is that a political solution is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. As President Ghani has previously said, the Taliban have a choice between peace and war. They must choose to help to rebuild Afghanistan. Whilst this work remains difficult,​we are working with the Government of Afghanistan and all relevant international partners, including the US and Pakistan, to bring about a sustainable process as soon as possible.

North Korea: Biological Weapons

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in October, North Korea's Biological Weapons Program,which concluded that North Korea has the potential for a large-scale biological weapons programme and that the threats "must be considered a realistic proposition and addressed by the international community".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the report. As a State Party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is prohibited from developing, producing and stockpiling biological and toxin weapons. Under the Confidence Building Measures first established in 1986, States Parties are required to submit annual returns on specified activities and facilities. The DPRK has only ever submitted one such return, in 1990. This makes it difficult for the international community to have confidence that they are meeting their obligations under the Convention.

Iran: BBC

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of harassment of BBC Persian service staff and their families by the Iranian government; and what representations they have made to the Iranian government regarding these reports.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: I am aware of recent reports of BBC staff in Iran being harassed and subject to asset freezes and similar forms of mistreatment. These reports are deeply concerning. The UK has repeatedly called on Iran to implement its international obligations to respect the right of freedom of expression, opinion and peaceful assembly, including in cases where journalists are subject to harassment or detention for conducting peaceful activities.

Nuclear Disarmament: Conferences

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will vote on the proposals currently before the UN General Assembly concerning the dates and mandate for the 2018 UN international high-level conference for nuclear disarmament; who will represent them at the conference; what will be their objectives for the conference; and whether they accept the Tbilisi Declaration about the conference calling on all OSCE states "to participate in the 2018 UN international conference on nuclear disarmament at the highest level".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We will vote against the draft resolution at the UN in December on the holding of a UN high level conference in May 2018 to review progress on nuclear disarmament. We do not believe that a Conference mandated by this resolution will lead to effective progress on nuclear disarmament. It will not address the serious threats to international peace and security posed by nuclear non proliferation nor will it take account of the international security environment. The Tbilisi Declaration was adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and not by the Government. If the Conference is held, we will consider our approach closer to the time.

Turkey: Detainees

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the Human Rights Watch report In Custody: Police Torture and Abductions in Turkey,released on 12 October, when they last raised concerns about detention abuses with the government of Turkey.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have studied the Human Rights Watch Report released on 12 October. We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Turkish Government at ministerial and senior official level, including, where necessary, alleged abuses in detention. We will continue to engage with the Turkish Government at all levels on our concerns, and to monitor the situation closely.

North Korea: Biological Weapons

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the implications for UK security of any North Korean biological weapons programme, as described in a report from the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School published in October.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the report. It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on matters relating to intelligence or national security.

Europe: Radicalism

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the success of extremist parties in recent European elections for the stability of the EU and the Council of Europe, especially in respect of the maintenance of human rights.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government opposes extremism in all its forms. We believe in the fundamental values of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and we continue to work internationally to uphold those values.

Department for International Development

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 31 March 2016 (HL7304), how much the UK has paid to (1) the African Development Fund, and (2) the International Development Association, in relation to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative; and which qualifying countries have been unable to reduce their debt export ratio.

lord bates: In 2005, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative was supplemented by the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The MDRI allows for the cancellation of debts to multilateral organisations and has been supported by the UK since inception.Based on information from the World Bank Debt Relief Trust Fund and MDRI records, we calculate that the UK has provided £226 million to the African Development Fund (AfDF) and £808 million to the International Development Association (IDA) for foregone payments in relation to the HIPC Initiative since1996.In its September 2017 Statistical report, the IMF states that between 2001 and 2015, the average debt service to export ratio for countries which have completed the HIPC process fell from 17.5% to 6.2%. Only 7 of the 36 countries did not have lower ratios of debt to exports in 2015 than in 2001 - Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania and Mozambique – and all but two of these countries still have debt service to export ratios of below 10%.

UNESCO

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy for the prioritisation and funding of the future programmes of UNESCO, in the light of the decision of the United States to terminate its membership; and whether they will urge the United States to rejoin.

lord bates: The UK is deeply committed to the vital issues that UNESCO works on. But we have been crystal clear that we expect serious reform from UNESCO as an organisation. The 2016 Multilateral Development Review scored UNESCO lowest of all the agencies. This is not good enough. We will relentlessly keep up the pressure to drive up performance – and in particular to address serious concerns about financial and risk management.The US’s relationship with UNESCO is a matter for them.

Montserrat: Volcanoes

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the key infrastructure on the island of Montserrat, including housing, electrical power and medical facilities, has been replaced since the devastating volcanic eruptions in the mid-1990s.

lord bates: In the aftermath of the volcano which destroyed Montserrat’s key infrastructure in the south of the island in the mid-1990s, DFID has supported the Government of Montserrat in developing key infrastructure in the north of the island. This has included construction of: new housing and schools, new government offices, a new power station and a new hospital. A new jetty and airport were also constructed to provide continuing access to the island.DFID has also provided funding to maintain these buildings and has financed the installation of a modern power station, a new more efficient electricity generator, and exploratory geothermal drilling to identify a potential new renewable energy source.

Department for Education

Disabled Students' Allowances

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the evaluation of Disabled Students' Allowances will include consideration of the levels of information provided by higher education providers to students claiming those allowances about the respective responsibilities of those institutions and students.

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the evaluation of Disabled Students' Allowances will include consideration of the benefits of issuing a guide to higher education providers about their responsibilities in relation to students claiming those allowances who fall into bands 1 and 2.

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the evaluation of Disabled Students' Allowances will include consideration of the need for third party advisers to have clarity of information about the respective responsibilities of higher education providers and claimants of those allowances.

the earl of courtown: The evaluation of Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) will address a range of factors relating to the efficacy of support for disabled students, including the effect of recent changes to DSA policy.

Children: Protection

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether conduct by a parent preventing a child from attending an inspected state or independent school for religious or other reasons is a factor taken into account in determining whether a child is at risk; if so, what other criteria are applied to decisions in those circumstances; and what guidance they have issued to local authorities regarding this matter.

lord agnew of oulton: Wherever local councils have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm, they are under a duty to investigate. While a parent preventing a child from attending school for the reasons outlined is not in itself evidence of a child being at risk, local councils may assess whether, when linked to a number of other factors, it may contribute to a decision that the child is at risk. The statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) sets out the principles and parameters of a good assessment, which should take account of the impact and influence of family and environmental factors. Under the Children Act 1989, local councils have a responsibility to provide services for the purposes of safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. It is important that every local council has clear criteria for taking action and providing help across the full continuum of need. In September 2016 we published updated statutory guidance on ‘Children Missing Education’ and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’. The new guidance reinforces the roles and responsibilities of schools and local councils when it comes to working together to prevent children missing education. Children missing education are at significant risk of underachieving, being victims of harm, exploitation or radicalisation, and becoming not in education, employment or training later in life. This risk will not apply to all children withdrawn from school and educated at home, as those receiving good home education would not be “missing” education.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Lord Speaker's Committee on the Size of the House

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what was the total cost of the Lord Speaker’s Committee on the size of the House, including secretarial and administrative support, printing, and other associated costs; and under which head or heads of expenditure those costs will appear.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The House of Lords Administration supported the committee by drawing on a broad range of existing experienced employees, so no additional staff costs were involved. The committee had four specialist advisers; one of them did not claim a fee, while the others have to date submitted claims totalling £2,692.80. Witnesses claimed £209.60 in travel expenses. There were no member costs involved. The print run upon publication of the report cost £3,784. These costs were met by the Committee Office and the Clerk of the Parliaments’ Office.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Housing

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether young people who were formerly on the edge of care are included in the provisions of the Universal Credit (Housing Costs Element for claimants aged 18 to 21) (Amendment) Regulations 2017; if so, why; and what is their estimate of the number of such persons who are so included.

baroness buscombe: Young people who were formally on the edge of care are included in the provisions of the Universal Credit (Housing Costs Element for claimants aged 18 to 21) (Amendment) Regulations 2017. However, if it would be inappropriate for such a young person to live with their parents, then they are exempted from these provisions, which gives the necessary protection to this group.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Horticulture

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatwork they are supporting on the development of artificial horticulture for the mass cultivation of vegetables.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK aims to be a world leader in agricultural technology, innovation and sustainability through the Agri-Tech Strategy which the Government published in July 2013. £160 million was committed to be co-invested with industry and address challenges in the agri-tech sector including £70 million for an Agri-Tech Catalyst that supports collaborative research projects to take agricultural innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace, and £80 million invested in four world class Centres for Agricultural Innovation. This is to develop and support the wide scale adoption of innovation and technology, developing skills and capability in the food and farming supply chain.

Organic Farming

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their policy to encourage organic farming and to increase the amount of land used by that sector; and if so, what actions they are taking in support of that policy.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government believes that both conventional and organic farming offers opportunities for expansion and increased penetration of the domestic and overseas markets. The Government recognises that organic farming and food can make a significant contribution helping to achieve environmental objectives, together with the additional consumer choice it offers, and supports this in England through the provision of financial aid for both conversion to and maintenance of organic status.

Navy: Fisheries

lord mackenzie of culkein: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for additional naval assets to provide for increased protection to UK fisheries in both the UK territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone followingwithdrawal from the EU and the London Fisheries Convention.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra is making a full assessment of the scale and volume of sea-based patrol capability required after we leave the EU with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy and other agencies. The Government has established a Joint Maritime Operational Coordination Centre to coordinate all sea-based patrol activity across marine agencies to derive maximum surveillance benefit.

Agriculture: Cooperatives

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to support the growth of co-operatives in the agricultural sector.

lord gardiner of kimble: Collaboration is a powerful way for groups of farmers to share knowledge and expertise, market information and good farming practice, exercise joint purchasing power and strengthen their negotiating position within the supply chain. As we leave the EU, we have the opportunity to explore how we can encourage greater levels of producer collaboration, including through co-operatives. Ministers and officials have discussed this with Co-operatives UK, the business network for UK co-operatives, and other industry stakeholders on several occasions.

Food: Imports

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of imported food by (1) value, and (2) weight, is not able to be grown or produced in the UK.

lord gardiner of kimble: Total UK imports of food and drink in 2016 were valued at £42.5 billion, and 39.5 million tonnes in weight. The proportion of these imports classified as non-indigenous was 40% by value, and 45% in volume terms.

Fly-tipping

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of fast-tracking the conviction and sentencing of fly-tipping offenders, in order to enable them to berequired to remove the waste, dispose of it legally, and repair any damage they have caused.

lord gardiner of kimble: Certain cases can be fast-tracked through the courts in agreement between the prosecuting agency and the local Judicial Business Group. Convicted offenders can be subject to a range of sentences, including community sentences which may involve waste clearance work. The National Fly-tipping Prevention Group provides advice and guidance on measures people can take to prevent fly-tipping. Illegally dumped waste should be reported to the local authority, then cleared swiftly so others do not add to it, rather than waiting until the offenders are prosecuted and sentenced. Local authorities should then investigate fly-tipping, and prosecute the fly-tippers where there is sufficient evidence. A cost order can be made by the court so that the clearance costs can be recovered retrospectively. As well as tightening up the sentencing guideline for environmental offences in 2014, last year we gave local authorities the power to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for small-scale fly-tipping to assist them to take proportionate and prompt enforcement action.

Agricultural Products: UK Trade with EU

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 30 October (HL2090), whether their intention is that farm products will continue to move without restriction between the UK and the remaining EU–27 after the UK's exit.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government has been clear that it seeks a new partnership with the EU and a comprehensive customs agreement.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 24 October (HL Deb, col 836) referring to the announcement on 30 September by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that HM Government will increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty from the current six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment, and stating that they will publish a draft bill later this year, whether any Cabinet committees have given their approval for that draft bill to be published; and if so, which

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 24 October (HL Deb, col 836) referring to the announcement on 30 September by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that HM Government will increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty from the current six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment, and stating that they will publish a draft bill later this year, whether they intend to propose that that draft bill be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.

lord gardiner of kimble: Government announced on 30 September its intention to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences from the current six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine to 5 years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. The policy was agreed by the relevant Cabinet committee. The announcement made clear we hope to publish draft legislation for consultation around the turn of the year.

Home Office

Slavery

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 16 October (HL Deb, col 398), whatis their estimate ofthe length of time that the Modern Slavery Act will take to embed; and what measures they are taking in the meantime to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is targeted.

baroness williams of trafford: Since the world-leading Modern Slavery Act 2015 was introduced, more victims and survivors are being rescued and supported than ever before, more perpetrators are being brought to justice, and thousands of businesses have published slavery and human trafficking statements. The Government is actively monitoring progress and recently published the UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery setting out the steps we are taking to tackle this abhorrent crime, which can be accessed via: www.gov.uk/government/publications/2017-uk-annual-report-on-modern-slavery The Home Secretary also commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services to assess the police response to modern slavery. The report was published on 24 October and the findings will serve as a benchmark against which to measure police progress and address the issues identified. The report can be accessed via: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/stolen-freedom-the-policing-response-to-modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking/



2017 - UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery 
(PDF Document, 711.68 KB)




Justice Inspectors - Modern Slavery 
(PDF Document, 473.93 KB)

Terrorism: Norway

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learned from the Utoya massacre in Norway.

baroness williams of trafford: Over recent years the Home Office has worked with the police and other emergency services to develop a strong, police-led capability to deal with large-scale firearms attacks in the UK.We keep our preparedness under constant review and use the lessons learned from the Utoya attack in 2011 and subsequent terrorist attacks to inform the UK’s approach; regularly exercising the UK’s capabilities.

Asylum: Children

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many under-18 year old asylum seekers have been admitted into the UK in each of the last 12 months.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data on the number of initial decisions for asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum seeking children (under-18 year old applicants) each quarter by nationality in table as_09_q of the Immigration Statistics release.The latest figures are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638599/asylum3-apr-jun-2017-tables.ods or can be found in the table below:Total initial decisions on asylum applications from Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking ChildrenQuarterTotal initial decisionsTotal  grantsGrants of asylumGrants of HPGrants of  DLGrants of UASC  leaveGrants of Family or Private Life LTR or LOTR2016 Q33082567621315602016 Q43272871308014902017 Q12742421354010212017 Q236731221371910Please note the table exlcudes cases where the applicant was found to be over 18 and that we are due to publish our Q3 data on 30-Nov 2017.



Table as_09q 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 23 KB)

Fraud

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the findings of their internal economic crime review will be made public; and if so, when.

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to combine the Serious Fraud Office with any other law enforcement agencies.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is committed to strengthening the UK's response to bribery, corruption, money laundering, fraud and other forms of economic crime. The Government is continuing to review options to improve the effectiveness of the UK's response to economic crime, and any measures resulting from this work will be announced in due course.

HM Passport Office

lord mackenzie of culkein: To ask Her Majesty's Government why HM Passport Office (HMPO) has withdrawn the Parliamentary Liaison Team function and discontinued the designated parliamentary helpline; and why the recorded message from HMPO on the discontinued advice and assistance helpline gives some advice for future contacts in respect of Members of the House of Commons but does not do so for members of the House of Lords.

baroness williams of trafford: The HMPO Parliamentary Liaison team merged with the UK Visas and Immigration MP Account Management team on 3 April. The MP Account Management team answers enquiries from Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords. The HMPO Parliamentary Liaison line closed on 18 April. Members of the House of Lords can contact their regional MP Account Management team for all passport related enquiries.

Abortion: Clinics

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to protect (1) women who attend abortion clinics, and (2) staff working in such clinics.

baroness williams of trafford: This Government is absolutely clear that rights to peaceful protest should not cause patients or staff of healthcare clinics to feel intimidated or harassed due to the actions of protesters.The Government will carefully consider the rights of all parties involved in this issue and will explore whether any further action is needed to ensure clinic staff and patients can go about their lawful business free from harassment, offence or alarm.

Terrorism

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government with which parts of the question asked byLord Pearson of Rannoch on 25 October (HL Deb, col 928) they disagree; and why.

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the question byLord Morgan on 25 October (HL Deb, col 927), whether they will, in future publications of, or pronouncements on, the Prevent strategy, use the term "radical Islam" rather than "radical".

baroness williams of trafford: We disagree with all of your question. Since 2011, our counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST has addressed “all forms of terrorist threat to this country and our interests, whether it originates here or overseas”, regardless of the ideology that inspires it.

Police Stations

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police stations have closed since 2010 in each force area in England and Wales; how many additional stationswere opened over that period; and of those, how many are only accessible to officers and civilian staff.

baroness williams of trafford: The information requested is not held centrally.Decisions on available resources, including the number of police stations, are a matter for the directly accountable Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable of each area.

101 Calls

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average response time to 101 non-emergency calls for each of the past five years, broken down by each police force in England and Wales.

baroness williams of trafford: The handling of 101 calls is an operational matter for the police. The Home Office does not collect this information.

Slavery

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police officers have received specialist training to investigate allegations of modern human slavery, broken down by each of the police forces in England and Wales.

baroness williams of trafford: Data on the number of police officers who have received specialist modern slavery training are not held centrally. Through the £8.5m grant the Government has provided to support the police modern slavery transformation programme, an accredited modern slavery training course has been developed for all frontline officers and staff. This is supplemented by a specialist investigators’ course for detectives. Both courses are being rolled out across England and Wales.

Arrests

lord condon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any change in the number of arrests made by police officers in England and Wales in recent years.

baroness williams of trafford: There are a number of possible factors which may have contributed to the fall in the number of arrests since the year ending March 2008. Inspections carried out by HMICFRS in 2016, as part of their police effectiveness assessments, did not identify one single cause (PEEL report on police effectiveness).One possible reason linked to the fall in the number of arrests is the increased use of voluntary attendance, where an individual attends voluntarily at a police station or at any other place where a constable is present without having been arrested for the purpose of assisting with an investigation. It is thought that the use of this practice has increased due to a more stringent application of the necessity test (which was introduced in 2012), where, for an arrest to be lawful, there must be reasonable grounds for believing that the arrest is necessary (PACE Code G).There is also evidence of greater use of other outcomes, such as community resolutions, as part of efforts to reduce the number of young people entering custody. Other factors that may have had an impact on the fall in the number of arrests are discussed in the HMICFRS PEEL report 2016. See http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-content/uploads/peel-police-effectiveness-2016.pdf



Peel Police Effectiveness report - 2016
(PDF Document, 1.5 MB)

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord darling of roulanish: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Home Secretary on 27 July, when the Migration Advisory Committee will complete its detailed assessment of the role of EU nationals in the UK economy and society.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has asked the Migration Advisory Committee to complete its report on the impacts on the labour market of the UK’s exit from the EU by September 2018, though the MAC has also been invited to consider whether it could produce interim reports.

Domestic Violence: Employment

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage departments and non-departmental bodies to engage with, and support, the Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse; and what progress has been made to date.

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to support action in the workplace to combat domestic abuse.

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will be represented at the Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse conference on 29 November.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office has been working closely with the Employers’ Initiative to encourage employers to take further action to support victims of domestic abuse in the workplace. This includes engaging with other departments and non-departmental bodies to raise awareness of the Employers’ Initiative and working with wider partners to ensure employers have the guidance and tools to offer high-quality support to victims.The Home Office will be represented at the conference on the 29 November.

Police: Inquiries

lord sherbourne of didsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government which organisations or individuals are entitled to establish an inquiry into the conduct of a Police Authority's investigation.

baroness williams of trafford: Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Independent Police Complaints Commission may review or investigate the conduct of a police force, or one of its members, respectively. The policing protocol issued under section 79 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 provides scope for a PCC to commission an independent review into a force’s particular investigation in order to assist that PCC in their statutory duty of scrutinising, supporting and challenging the overall performance of the force. A Chief Constable may also commission an independent review of an investigation conducted by their force.Section 1 (1) of the Inquiries Act 2005 sets out the criteria for establishing a statutory public inquiry whereby a Minister may cause an inquiry to be held under this Act in relation to a case where it appears to him that (a) particular events have caused, or are capable of causing, public concern, or (b) there is public concern that particular events may have occurred. The Act is UK-wide. Ministers from the Devolved Administrations have the power to establish inquiries into matters within their remit. The Government also has the authority to establish a non-statutory inquiry in the form of an ad-hoc inquiry, an inquiry by a Committee of the Privy Council and Royal Commissions.Section 54(2B) of the Police Act 1996 allows the Home Secretary to commission Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect and report on any force, or aspect of any force, or to commission them to carry out any further activities for the purpose of furthering police efficiency and effectiveness.

Hate Crime

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further tothe answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 18 October (HL Deb, col 616), what steps they are taking to record hate crimes against people with learning difficulties and autism separately from crimes against people with other disabilities.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not currently mandate police forces to disaggregate disability hate crime.However, forces are free to record this information locally. We are working closely with stakeholders to improve our understanding of this form of hate crime, and this work will continue to inform our policy on this matter.

HM Treasury

NHS

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the loss to the Exchequer resulting from the actions of NHS bodies in setting up wholly owned subsidiaries.

lord bates: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT refunds to NHS bodies broken down to this level of detail.

NHS: VAT

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what dialogue they havehad withQE Facilitiesregarding VAT avoidance schemes, in relation to wholly owned subsidiaries of NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts.

lord bates: I am unable to comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers.

Treasury: Written Questions

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 23 October (HL1751) concerning a debt to them from the government of Ireland, whether they will now answer the question asked on the arrangements for repayment.

lord bates: I refer the noble Lord to the most recent statutory report which the Treasury provided to Parliament as required by Section 2 of the Loans to Ireland Act 2010. The last report was laid in Parliament on 7 November 2017 and is available in the Printed Paper Office. Table 2.A of the report provides the details of each of the loan disbursements made to Ireland by the Treasury, and the dates on which each tranche is due to be repaid.Table 2.ADisbursement DateLoan amountLoan Maturity Date14 October 2011£403,370,00015 April 201930 January 2012£403,370,00030 July 201928 March 2012£403,370,00030 September 20191 August 2012£403,370,0003 February 202019 October 2012£403,370,00020 April 20206 March 2013£403,370,0007 September 20206 June 2013£403,370,0007 December 202026 September 2013£403,370,00026 March 2021

VAT

lord leigh of hurley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what amount of VAT was not recovered from sellers who were served with notices in the last 12 months.

lord bates: In the 12 months since the joint and several liability provisions came into force, HMRC has issued 500 notices to online marketplaces through which overseas businesses sell. In all of these cases, the marketplaces have removed the sellers from their platforms, preventing further losses of VAT through fraudulent sales. Joint and several liability notices remain in force until the sellers become fully compliant with their VAT obligations, which includes payment of all previously owed taxes, plus interest and penalties. To the end of August 2017, HMRC had raised assessments for unpaid VAT on those sellers totalling £43.6m, with a further £71m due to be assessed on sellers still under investigation. The VAT paid by overseas businesses has increased from £6m in 2015 to £27m in 2016, and it is expected to continue to rise significantly in 2017.

Electronic Commerce

lord leigh of hurley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HMRC obtain data on the amount of goods that non-UK sellers on Amazon and eBay import into the UK; and if so, whether they reconcile that data with declared sales.

lord bates: HMRC cannot disclose details about named companies. HMRC expects intermediaries to give data to the department voluntarily upon request, and has statutory powers to require production of data where necessary.HMRC uses data from intermediaries to identify cases where there is a risk that the taxpayer has failed to report, or has under-reported, their liability.

Electronic Commerce

lord leigh of hurley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fulfilment houses had stock seized by HMRC in the last 12 months.

lord bates: In the last 12 months HMRC has seized stock from 9 fulfilment houses.

Electronic Commerce: VAT

lord leigh of hurley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they treatAmazonasbeingin the supply chain for VAT purposes in cases wherean overseas seller using its full facilities, including warehousing, advertising, taking payment, delivering, customer refunds and questions, evades VAT; and if not, why not.

lord bates: Under EU law, for an online marketplace such as Amazon to be part of a supply chain for VAT purposes, it would need to take ownership of the goods in question and sell them on its own behalf. At Budget 2016 the government introduced a new provision that allows HMRC to make online marketplaces jointly and severally liable for the unpaid VAT of their non-EU sellers.

Credit Unions

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to expand the scope of products that credit unions can choose to provide to their members.

lord bates: The Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone and credit unions play a key role in this by offering affordable, responsible credit to some communities. In response to the Government’s 2014 Call for Evidence on the future of credit unions, the Government committed to consider potential legislative changes in the previous Parliament that would help the sector grow and thrive.However, it is important to consider any changes carefully to avoid unintended consequences, such as bringing smaller credit unions into regulation that might not be proportionate.The Government remains committed to supporting the sector and will continue to work with interested stakeholders to achieve this. The government is also keen for the sector to look for further opportunities to grow within the existing regulatory framework by exploring opportunities for collaboration within the sector.

Credit Unions: Finance

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review Government funding provided to credit unions.

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to change Government funding to credit unions from grant funding to repayable long-term investment capital.

lord bates: The Government recognises the importance of long-term investment capital for all businesses, including credit unions, in helping them to maximise their potential. The Government therefore supports any measures that help credit unions attract more long-term investment, helping them to boost their capital base and subsequently issue more loans. As was made clear in the response to the Government’s Call for Evidence on the future of credit unions in 2014, the Government does not intend to provide revenue support to credit unions. This approach has been tried in the past and risks offering support for unsustainable business models which will then struggle to survive, once the support is ended. The Government will only consider grant funding in relation to specific outcomes. The Government is supportive of increasing the level of long-term investment capital into credit unions and welcomes the role played by some private sector companies in providing this.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit: Females

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government which issues in their negotiations with theEU have major or significant implications for women;how they plan to address such issues; and whether they intend to increase the proportion of women among their negotiators.

baroness anelay of st johns: We want to make a success of these negotiations for all our citizens. We are drawing together expertise from a wide range of departments, and are working closely with the Government Equalities Office, itself responsible for equality strategy and legislation across government, including in relation to women.Information on the composition of the UK's senior negotiating team is publicly available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/biographies-of-the-civil-service-representatives-for-the-negotiations-with-the-eu



UK's senior negotiating team
(PDF Document, 1.23 MB)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media: Bullying

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they are taking, or are planning to take, to stop the rise in malicious communications via social media.

lord ashton of hyde: We are currently consulting on introducing a social media code of practice as part of the Internet Safety Strategy which was published on 11 October.As laid out in the Digital Economy Act 2017, the code will seek to ensure that providers offer adequate online safety policies, introduce minimum standards and metrics and ensure regular review and monitoring. Government will continue to consult with stakeholders in the tech industry on the details of the code of practice before its introduction in 2018.More broadly, the Government published the Hate Crime Action Plan in July 2016 to drive forward action to tackle hate crime. This action includes the recent announcement of the creation of a national online hate crime hub.

Department of Health

Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate

baroness ford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK guidance on the use of valproate-based medicines during pregnancy has been reviewed in the light of recent findings on the intergenerational effects of that drug.

baroness ford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to offer compensation to women and children who have beenaffected by the use of valproate-based medicines during pregnancy.

baroness ford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they will put in place for children born with birth defects resulting from the use of valproate-based medicines by their mothers during pregnancy.

lord o'shaughnessy: Valproate is an effective treatment for epilepsy and bipolar disorder that should only be used in girls and women of childbearing potential if other treatments are ineffective or not tolerated because of the risks in pregnancy. For some women there may be no other treatment option. Due to ongoing concerns about women’s awareness of the risks, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has worked with professional bodies, voluntary organisations and patient groups to develop a set of materials to aid communication between health professionals and women and girls. The adequacy of measures taken to date is being evaluated in a Europe-wide review that started in March 2017. An expert working group of the Commission on Human Medicines has been convened to inform the United Kingdom position during the ongoing European Union review and will consider all relevant data on intergenerational effects. The Government has great sympathy for those families who have been affected by the use of valproate in pregnancy. However, there is currently no proposal to offer compensation for those affected by the use of valproate during pregnancy in the UK. For any child born with a disability, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities, as commissioners of health and social care, must secure services to meet that child’s needs. Where a child has a very complex health need, they may need additional health support to that which is routinely available from general practitioner practices, hospitals or in the community, called continuing care. Health, social care and education should work together to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs.

NHS

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they havetaken to ensure that when NHS bodies set up wholly owned subsidiaries in order to claim VAT refunds, NHS staff transferred to those subsidiary companies retain their terms and conditions, including membership of the NHS Pension Scheme.

lord o'shaughnessy: National Health Service organisations are responsible for deciding locally the most appropriate structures they need to deliver services to their patients within available resources, meeting any tax liabilities that may arise. Recent guidance to NHS trusts and foundation trusts from the Department states ‘the only tax advice that the Department deems acceptable is that necessary for the fulfilment of statutory functions and or to assist with compliance with tax rules beyond in house expertise. Tax avoidance schemes should not be entered into under any circumstances.’ Any NHS staff compulsory transferred to subsidiary companies that may be set up by NHS bodies should, subject to legal advice, be covered by Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment legislation, in respect of their terms and conditions of service, and Her Majesty’s Treasury’s New Fair Deal guidance, in respect of their continued access to the NHS Pension Scheme. NHS Improvement is working with the NHS to ensure adherence to relevant legislation and guidance, as well as encouraging the sharing and adoption of best practice in working with employee representatives and unions on these issues. Note: HM Treasury’s New Fair Deal guidance requires that NHS employees who transfer compulsorily from a NHS body to an independent organisation retain access to the NHS Pension Scheme in their new employment. This occurs where the function performed by the transferring employees has been outsourced by the provider or the service put to tender by the commissioner.

NHS

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyintendto ensure that when NHS bodies set up wholly owned subsidiaries in order to claim VAT refunds, new staff who jointhose subsidiary companiesare (1) employed on NHS terms and conditions, including membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, and(2) classified as NHS employees.

lord o'shaughnessy: National Health Service bodies are responsible for deciding locally the most appropriate structures they need to put in place to deliver services to their patients within available resources, meeting any tax liabilities that may arise. Recent guidance to NHS trusts and foundation trusts from the Department states that ‘the only tax advice that the Department deems acceptable is that necessary for the fulfilment of statutory functions and or to assist with compliance with tax rules beyond in house expertise. Tax avoidance schemes should not be entered into under any circumstances.’ It would be for those subsidiary companies to decide what terms and conditions they need to offer new staff to enable them to attract the skills and talents required to deliver their services. They would need to apply for new, eligible staff to access the NHS Pension Scheme. To be eligible, they would have to be employed under a standard NHS contract (or sub contract to a NHS standard contract) and wholly or mainly (i.e. more than 50% of their work) either directly or supporting the delivery of clinical services to patients under that contract. These new staff would be classified as employees of the subsidiary company, not the NHS. NHS Improvement is working with the NHS to ensure adherence to relevant legislation and guidance, as well as encouraging the sharing and adoption of best practice in working with employee representatives and unions on these issues.

NHS Business Services Authority

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many approvals and letters of comfort have been given by the NHS Business Authority to enable NHS staff who transfer to wholly owned subsidiaries which have been set up for the purposes of claiming VAT refund, to continue to access the NHS Pension Scheme.

lord o'shaughnessy: National Health Service organisations are responsible for deciding locally the most appropriate structures they need to put in place to deliver services to their patients within available resources, meeting any tax liabilities that may arise. Recent guidance to NHS trusts and foundation trusts, from the Department states “The only tax advice that the Department deems acceptable is that necessary for the fulfilment of statutory functions and or to assist with compliance with tax rules beyond in house expertise. Tax avoidance schemes should not be entered into under any circumstances.” VAT status is irrelevant in respect of the application of Her Majesty’s Treasury’s New Fair Deal guidance which requires that NHS employees who transfer compulsorily from a NHS body to an independent organisation retain access to the NHS Pension Scheme in their new employment.

Hepatitis

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer byLord O'Shaughnessy on 17 July (HL530), what support they are giving to Operational Delivery Networks which did not achieve their run rates in the period 2016–17 to meet those targets in the future.

lord o'shaughnessy: In 2016-17, Operational Delivery Networks achieved 94% of the planned treatment run rate of 10,000 patients, with all but two treating over 90% of their run rate. NHS England has a Commissioning for Quality and Innovation scheme in place for hepatitis C virus (HCV), which provides a substantial opportunity for hospitals to earn additional income available to invest in their contribution to the sustainable rollout of HCV treatments. NHS England also invested £1 million in fibroscanning equipment to identify patients at the highest unmet clinical need. Clinical and commissioning support is provided at regional and national level to share best practice.

Hospital Beds

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hospital beds there were in NHS hospitals in (1) 2008, (2) 2010, and (3) 2015.

lord o'shaughnessy: From April 2010, NHS England started to publish quarterly information on the numbers of available and occupied beds open overnight and day only in National Health Service organisations. Previously, annual data was published. A table showing the numbers of NHS hospital beds is attached owing to the size of the data. There has been a long-term reduction in the number of general and acute beds open overnight because hospitals are dealing with patients more efficiently. The NHS now performs more day cases, length of stay is decreasing and more people are treated in community settings.



Average numbers of hospital beds in England
(Word Document, 23.15 KB)

General Practitioners

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many GPs there were in practice in the NHS in (1) 2010, and (2) 2015.

lord o'shaughnessy: Information on the numbers of general practitioners in practice is shown in the following table.  20102015Headcount (England)39,40940,648Full-time equivalent (England)35,24334,025 Source: NHS Digital. Figures as at September 30 each year.

Nurses

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many qualified nurses were employed in the NHS in (1) 2015, and (2) 2010.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics. The following table shows the number of full time equivalent (FTE) nurses and health visitors working in the National Health Service in May2015 and May 2010. FTEMay 2010May 2015Nurses280,950281,326   Source: NHS Digital, provisional NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics.Notes: Health visitors may be employed by NHS provider organisations, but may also be employed directly by local authorities or other care providers. Current data collections do not cover the complete range of these organisations. As a result, it is not possible to provide accurate data on the total size of the health visitor workforce.

Care Homes

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the shortage of places in care homes for elderly people.

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the future number of places needed in care homes for older people, in the light of demographic changes.

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the disparity in charges for places in care homes between full payers and those supported by local authorities.

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence that those paying the full costs of places in care homes for older people are subsidising those paid for by local authorities.

lord o'shaughnessy: No such estimate has been made. It is for local authorities to plan care provision based on the needs of their local populations. Nationally, the number of care home beds has been stable at around 460,000 beds in England since 2010. In their 2015 published projections which relate to older people using social care (65+) only, the Personal Social Services Research Unit project increases in publically and privately funded care home residents of 49% and 110% respectively between 2015 and 2035. Social care continues to be a priority for this Government. This is why local authorities in England will receive an additional £2 billion for social care over the next three years, with £1 billion provided in 2017-18 so that councils can fund more packages of care immediately. One of the three key purposes of the additional funding is to assist councils in stabilising the local provider market.The Care Act 2014 placed a duty on local authorities in England to promote a diverse, sustainable, high quality market of care and support providers for people in their local area. Local authorities are expected to understand and articulate likely future demand for services in their area, engage with care providers to understand the likely supply of services, provide signals to the market of their intent, and as needed, intervene in the market to stimulate change and innovation in providers to better meet the needs of people and communities.Prices for care home places are agreed between the provider, the individuals and their families who are self-funding their own care. Prices therefore vary across the country. Central Government has no say in these individual negotiations. The Department continues to support local authorities with their new Care Act duties to ensure their local market remains effective to meet people’s care needs regardless of how services are funded.The Competition and Markets Authority has an ongoing market study into the residential care market. A financial analysis paper, dated 11 September 2017, contains recent analysis of the charges in place in care homes for self-funders and those supported by a local authority. A copy of Care homes market study is attached. The full market study is due to be published at the end of November, following which the Government will issue a formal response.



Care Homes Market Study
(PDF Document, 325.15 KB)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many specialist services are available in England for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

lord o'shaughnessy: This data is not available. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning many healthcare services to meet the needs and requirements of their local population including those for people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). In doing so, CCGs commission services that reflect the needs of local people and that support improvements in health and healthcare outcomes. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance advises that any decision to refer a person to specialist CFS/ME care should be based on their needs, the type, duration, complexity and severity of their symptoms, and the presence of comorbidities. The decision should be made jointly by the person with CFS/ME and the healthcare professional. Referral to a specialist should be offered within six months of presentation to people with mild CFS/ME, within three to four months of presentation to people with moderate CFS/ME symptoms and immediately to people with severe CFS/ME symptoms.

Infectious Diseases

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is theirpolicy on strengthening UK national resilience against infectious diseases.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department, NHS England and Public Health England have a range of plans and systems in place to detect and respond to any future outbreak of an infectious disease, including: - well-developed epidemic intelligence to identify new health threats (animal and human);- surveillance systems to identify and track United Kingdom and/or overseas outbreaks and assess the risk to the UK;- compliance with the World Health Organization International Health Regulations in relation to identifying, communicating and responding to national and international health threats;- the diagnostic capability to identify organisms and ability to develop new diagnostics that can be quickly rolled out to the National Health Service;- the production of advice for clinicians, including diagnostic and patient management algorithms;- a legal framework that allows for the investigation and control of infectious disease;- the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team, which can deploy overseas to support the local response to outbreaks at source before they pose a risk to UK travellers or UK population; and- public information, messaging and advice on infectious diseases. Comprehensive national immunisation programmes are also in place to tackle vaccine-preventable diseases, which are kept under review by the independent expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The UK Government assesses the risk of an infectious diseases outbreak to the UK every two years. This is published in an unclassified form as the National Risk Register.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £1.25 billion of theFuture in Mind funding announced in the March 2015 Budget has been spent by Clinical Commissioning Groups in local areas; andwhich organisations have received that funding.

lord o'shaughnessy: As set out in Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, the planned allocations to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) over five years from 2016/17 of the additional funding to support implementation are shown in the table.Year2016/172017/182018/192019/202020/21Planned allocation to CCGs1 (millions)£119£140£170£190£214Source: Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health (NHS England)Note: 1This does not include funding for eating disorders. For 2016/17, £119 million was allocated as part of CCG budgets as planned. In the previous year, 2015/16, £75 million was allocated to CCGs. NHS England’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health dashboard shows how much each CCG is spending on children’s mental health, as part of the robust assurance processes we have put in place.

Primary Health Care: Basildon

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much investment NHS Property Services has made in Basildon Borough for primary care infrastructure, in each year since April 2013.

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much investment has been made by NHS Property Services in Essex for primary care infrastructure, in each year since 2013.

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much investment has been made by NHS Property Services in Sussex for primary care infrastructure, in each year since 2013.

lord o'shaughnessy: The table below sets out the capital expenditure by NHS Property Services (NHSPS) on health centres and primary care facilities owned by NHSPS in Sussex and Essex since the establishment of NHSPS in April 2013. The figures exclude hospital buildings from which primary care services may be provided.  2013/14 £000s2014/15 £000s2015/16 £000s2016/17 £000sTOTAL £000sSussex27961146251,159Essex448873427-1,748Total4751,834573252,907 There has been no such investment in Basildon Borough since the inception of NHSPS in 2013.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how cures and treatments in the NHS are being developed to reduce the danger in hospitals of anti-microbial resistance.

lord o'shaughnessy: The UK Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy published in 2013 set out the key actions needed to tackle AMR: preventing infections, making appropriate use of the treatments available, and promoting the development of new treatments. In 2016 the government announced ambitions to halve healthcare-associated Gram-negative bloodstream infections and inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials by 2020-2021. To promote the development of new drugs, diagnostics and alternative treatments we have established unprecedented levels of research collaboration, together with increased investment, including the £50 million Global AMR Innovation Fund. The Government is committed to working with the global finance and health community to develop a global system that rewards companies that develop new, successful antibiotics and make them available to all who need them.

Methadone

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many English patients were on the methadone treatment programme in (1) 2005, (2) 2010, and (3) 2015; in each of those years (a) what was the cost of the programme, (b) how many deaths from methadone abuse, whether of those on the programme or not, were recorded, and (c) how many patients on the programme ceased injecting behaviour and the use of other illicit drugs.

lord o'shaughnessy: Data on the number of English patients on the methadone treatment programme is not collected in the format requested. Information on the cost of local drug treatment programmes is not collected centrally. Deaths where methadone was among the substances mentioned on the death certificate are published by Office for National Statistics for residents of England and Wales for each calendar year, based on deaths registered in the year. These were 220 in 2005, 355 in 2010,and 434 in 2015. The Adult substance misuse statistics from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) 2015-16 report shows that 39% of opiate users who were reviewed after six months of treatment had not used opiates in the previous four weeks. Of those who reported that they were injecting at the start of treatment, 55% reported not injecting in the previous four weeks when reviewed after six months. This data is not available in a comparable form for previous years. A copy of the report is attached. It should be noted that these are not outcomes for every opiate user in treatment, but specifically for those reviewed at six months within that year, and that not all opiate users are injecting.



Adult substance misuse statistics
(PDF Document, 1.6 MB)

Methadone

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness of the methadone prescribing treatment as a means to achieving a drug free lifestyle.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has not made any assessment of methadone prescribing as a drug treatment in isolation. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published several pieces of guidance on drug treatment. They recommend opioid substitute treatment with either methadone or buprenorphine, delivered alongside psychosocial treatments, as the frontline treatment for opioid (heroin) dependency. This is the treatment with the strongest international evidence base.The prescribing of methadone, or any other opioid substitute therapy, only starts after an assessment by a competent clinician, in conjunction with the patient and taking into account their needs and supported by local clinical governance arrangements.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated annual cost of payments from public funds to private sector abortion clinics in England to carry out abortions for patients from Northern Ireland; whether, under equalities and anti-discrimination legislation, there is a requirement for a similar level of resources to be made available to women who choose not to end their pregnancies; what assessment they have made of the estimate by Both Lives Matter that over 100,000 people are alive in Northern Ireland today, who would not be alive had the Abortion Act 1967 been applied there; and what advice they have sought from Law Officers about the lawfulness and the ethics of seeking to disregard in one part of the UK the lawful provisions applicable in another part of the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: We estimate the cost of providing termination of pregnancy services in England to women from Northern Ireland to be in the region of £1 million per year. The provision of antenatal and maternity services in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. The decision to provide such funding is separate from issues about support for other groups of pregnant women and there is no necessary connection between the two matters. The Supreme Court in R (on the application of A and B) v Secretary of State for Health (2017) found that the Government has the power to fund abortion services in England for women lawfully resident from Northern Ireland.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, under the extension of the Northern Ireland abortion scheme which will include the provision of free travel to women from low income backgrounds to have an abortion in England, (1) what will happen if a woman travels to England and then changes her mind about the procedure, and (2) whether there will be any financial pressure for her to go through with the abortion once she has travelled to England.

lord o'shaughnessy: Women who travel from Northern Ireland to England seeking an abortion are able to change their mind at any stage of the process regardless of whether they have been eligible for their travel costs to be met. There are no circumstances, other than where there is evidence that a fraudulent claim has been made, that the Department would seek to re-coup any money from women who travel to England for an abortion procedure but who subsequently change their mind. In line with clinical guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, all women should be informed that they have a right to delay or cancel appointments and/or the procedure should they wish.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend, under the extension of the Northern Ireland abortion scheme which will include the provision of free travel for women on low incomes, to pay for minors to travel and have abortions in England; and whether minors resident in Northern Ireland who are eligible for free travel under the extension of the Northern Ireland abortion scheme will need to gain permission from their parents before travelling to get an abortion in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: The arrangements to provide abortions in England for women from Northern Ireland include travel and, where appropriate, accommodation for all those who meet the eligibility criteria. Parents or guardians can accompany young women aged under 18 and receive help towards travel costs if they receive qualifying benefits or meet the low income criteria. A doctor or health professional is able to provide contraception, sexual and reproductive health advice and treatment, including abortion, without parental knowledge or consent, to a young person aged under 16 years, provided that the doctor or health professional is satisfied that the conditions set out in the Fraser Guidelines are met. Health professionals should make every effort to encourage young women aged under 16 to involve their parents. If they cannot be persuaded to do so then they should be assisted to find another adult (such as another family member or specialist youth worker) to provide support. Lord Fraser was one of the Law Lords who ruled in Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority (1985) that under 16s can access sexual health care without parental consent, provided the following criteria are met: - that the young person understands the advice and has sufficient maturity to understand what is involved;- that the doctor could not persuade the young person to inform their parents, nor to allow the doctor to inform them;- that the young person would be very likely to begin or continue having sexual intercourse with or without contraceptive treatment;- that without contraceptive advice or treatment the young person’s physical or mental health would suffer; and- that it would be in the young person’s best interest to give such advice or treatment without parental consent.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, before making the decision to extend the Northern Ireland abortion scheme to include the provision of free travel to women resident in Northern Ireland from low income backgrounds, Members of the Legislative Assembly in Northern Ireland and Members of Parliament in Westminster were consulted.

lord o'shaughnessy: The judgement in June 2017, in the case of R (on the application of A and B) v Secretary of State for Health, confirmed the Secretary of State's powers to extend equal access to women from Northern Ireland. There was no legal requirement to consult on this specific aspect of the scheme and no formal consultation took place.

Lloyds Pharmacy: Closures

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the announcement by Lloyds Pharmacies that they are closing 190 stores in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: This Government is committed to maintaining access to National Health Service pharmaceutical services. 88% of the population are within a 20 minute walk of one of 11,688 community pharmacies in England and 40% of those pharmacies are within a ten minute walk of two or more others. In addition, we have seen the numbers of internet based pharmacies increase significantly in recent years, giving patients even more choice in how they receive their NHS pharmaceutical services. Lloyds has made a commercial decision. It is not yet clear which pharmacies will close as a result of Lloyds Pharmacy’s announcement and the extent to which the company will divest the outlets it no longer wants to own. Lloyds Pharmacy made clear in their statement that they had looked carefully at the pharmacy provision in the affected areas to avoid overly impacting patients. We will continue to monitor the situation.